In an interview with Parade, Pennington joked that it was a relief to take a break from the show's high-stress production schedule.

"My friend recently said, 'Oh my God, dude. You look rested'. Now, I actually have a chance to try to get some of the things in my life in order," Pennington stated.

The presenter further explained: "When you're on that show, you're literally traveling every three days. Everything is on hold until you can get back to it. So I'm trying to reconnect with my own family and breaking ground on a sustainable home I'm building for myself in northern Florida."

Pennington went on to stress that he has nothing but fond memories of his nine years of helping the less fortunate.

"I think what Extreme taught me is that as an artist, what you create with your hands has a lasting difference and actually makes someone's life better," he declared.